


When he fell

by 1Dlover (RENielsen)



Series: Help me when I can't help myself [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: (Only shortly), Age Play, Age Regression/De-Aging, Baby Niall, Comfort/Angst, Crib, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dada Liam, Daddy Zayn, Doctor - Freeform, Dummies, Enjoy!, Fainting, Family, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hope it's not all bad, Hospital, I don't even know why, Infantilism, Just wanted to give it a try I guess, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mostly just a lot of fluff, Multi, Niall-centric, Non-Sexual Age Play, OT5 Friendship, OT5 family, Onesies, Other, Stress, Stuffed Cookie, Stuffed Toys, Thumb-sucking, Tour, Toys, Uncle Harry, Uncle Louis, bottles, nappies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-26
Updated: 2015-07-26
Packaged: 2018-04-11 10:16:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4431419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RENielsen/pseuds/1Dlover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was sunshine, but now he's just slowly falling apart. Changing, becoming someone he isn't. Sometimes you just have to hit the bottom before you can become free. Sometimes it's just about being happy no matter what.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When he fell

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah... I don't even know what to say. Hope you enjoy? XD

”I’m worried about him,” Liam says with a frown, making Zayn pull him in for a hug.

“I know Love, I’m worried too, but he doesn’t want our help. Every time one of us tries to talk to him, he just gets angry and leaves. I don’t know what to do to help him, when he doesn’t want us to help at all. He probably doesn’t even realize that he has a problem.” Zayn looks at Liam with love in his eyes, but the love is mixed with worry for their friend and bandmate.

Liam’s grip in Zayn tightens, and he begins shaking in a way that makes Zayn know how close he is to crying. It’s sad really. Before all this Liam and Niall were the closest friends. You didn’t see one without the other, and it was easy to see how much they loved each other. Maybe not in a romantic way, but they loved each other nonetheless. Okay not in a romantic way from Niall’s side, but Liam always had a bit of a crush on Niall, which is something Zayn has known from the beginning, so he can’t really be angry that this effect Liam so much, even though they’re boyfriends now.

Also it’s hard to be all that angry, when Zayn himself has a thing for Niall too. It’s just, the Niall they got to know for the first couple of years being together as a band was lovely. He was funny, nice, a really good friend for all of them and mostly he was just Niall. It’s hard to describe, but there was just something about him that made it really hard not to fall for him.

Even Harry and Louis have had a tiny bit of a crush on him, and none of them is anywhere near being gay or bi. Maybe it was the fact that although he had a hard time in the beginning with the fans and all, the smile never left his face. Even when he was at his saddest, he was still caring and wouldn’t hesitate trying to make others smile so they wouldn’t worry about him.

In both Liam and Zayn’s eyes Niall was perfect. Okay maybe not perfect, but he was damn close to be so. Keyword was. Lately he hasn’t been the Niall they know and love. He’s been offensive and provocative. Whenever they see him, he looks either sad or angry, and he’s wearing a constant frown in his face. It’s weird seeing him like that, but like Zayn just pointed out; he doesn’t _want_ the others help no matter how much they want to give it to him.

The thing is; Niall has always fancied a pint in the pub, maybe even two, but he has never been the type who can’t control it. He drinks, yes. He gets drunk, definitely, but it normally doesn’t get out of control. Lately it doesn’t do anything _else,_ than get out of control.

Night after night Niall comes back to the tour bus or hotel completely wasted, and if he doesn’t have the opportunity to go out and get drunk, he’s either really snappy, or he has alcohol with him on the bus, so he can get drunk anyway.

So truth to be told, Niall is slowly but surely falling apart. He’s not the lovely boy anymore, and all of them miss the happy lad who would always have a smile on his lips. The lad all of them loved in one way or the other, but it has definitely been hardest on Liam, because Liam was the one who was closest to him.

Right now though, all four of them are really worried, ‘cause Niall was supposed to be on the bus, with the rest of them, an hour ago, but he’s still not here, and none of them have heard a thing. No calls and no texts.  He could just as well be lying dead in a ditch somewhere, and _that’s_ what really worries them. That Niall’s so gone that he can end up dying because of it.

“I just wish he would come home already,” Liam mumble so low, that Zayn isn’t sure he’s supposed to hear it, but he does and he hold Liam closer and tighter for comfort.

Zayn opens his mouth to answer that he want Niall back too, but before he gets the chance, the four of them hear a door open, and then close loudly. They jump a little in pure shock, and look shortly at each other, to ask a question without open their mouths. The question is answered a second later, when Niall stumbles inside the bus. Clearly plastered, again!

Liam sighs, and gets up from the couch he was sitting on, to help Niall to the bunks, so he can sleep it out. Zayn gets up behind him, so he can help. They all know how drunken Niall has been lately and no one should be subjected to be alone with him, in case he says or does something the one person can’t handle. Since he wasn’t smiling Niall anymore, he has been a hell of a bitch when he’s drunk, where he before was a very happy drunk.

“Niall, you okay?” The sweet tone from Liam is completely lost on Niall who just sends him an evil look, before continuing to try getting back to bed without their help, and without needing to answer them. When Liam takes a step closer and touches his arm, he jerks back and yells: “Don’t touch me!” before storming towards the bed area.

Liam and Zayn stand a little lost, and look after him, when he for a second stumble into the wall of the bus. They want to help him so badly, but after sighing Zayn take Liam’s hand, and drags him bag to the couches, where they cuddle up next to each other, with Harry and Louis on the other couch playing FIFA on the big screen.

They all just hope he’ll be better by tomorrow, but it’s not going to happen, they all know that. Either someone has to do something, or this will keep going until Niall breaks completely down, and with them having no idea what to do, it’ll probably end up being  opportunity number two. What none of them has a chance to know is how fast that actually will end up happen. 

¤¤¤

Only two weeks after that evening, everything goes horrible wrong. Already from the morning, the day is doomed to go wrong. Niall stumble into his hotel room five am loud enough to wake up the whole floor, including his four bandmates, who all just groan at this point. It isn’t even surprising anymore, and none of them get out of their bed. They all just lay there, worried but with no will to even try anymore. There’s no point of trying anyway.

The whole day Niall doesn’t do anything but cause problems. He meets up to rehearsals late and clearly drunk. Again it’s not really all that surprising anymore, but definitely irritating as fuck. He can’t get even one tone right, and half of the words is forgotten. At one point he even falls asleep right on the stage, but quickly gets up again, when he ends up falling down from it a couple of seconds later.

Luckily he’s not seriously hurt, but there’s no doubt he’ll get several bruises from the fall.

After that it’s even more impossible to talk to him, not that he was easy to talk to before that, but now there’s no chance in hell to get one word out of him that isn’t sassy as fuck.

When it’s _finally_ time for the concert, Niall is almost sober, but still grumpy. Surprisingly enough the fans don’t suspect a thing, and are as happy as ever. Maybe because Niall is more you know… Niall-like when the fans are around. He smiles - not the _real_ Niall-smile, but it’s still a smile - and he’s fooling around with the rest of them. A bit more reserved than before, but it’s okay.

First when the show’s over and the fans are gone, the smile disappears and the frown is back on Niall’s face. Harry touches his arm lightly, which makes him flinch like he was hit and not touched in an effort to give comfort. It’s weird, but what’s even weirder is what happens next. Before Niall can even try to get away from Harry’s touch, he sways a little, before falling into Harry’s arms. He’s unconscious before Harry lays his arms around the smaller lad.

For what feels like hours, but really only is about ten seconds, no one as much as move one single bit, but then they all move together at the same time. All just trying to find out what just happened to their friend. It doesn’t make any sense. You don’t just faint without any reason.

Just as Liam’s about to call an ambulance, Niall’s eyes flicker open, and he looks just as surprised as everyone else that he’s laying half on the floor, and half in Harry’s arms, and if the situation wasn’t quite as serious as it is, Liam would have cooed at Niall’s cute and very confused expression.

What Liam and the others didn’t expect is that Niall then bursts out in tears. And it’s not the pretty silent ones. No, he cries loudly, with big and many tears leaving his eyes, and with snot coming from his nose.

“Niall! Please Niall tell us what’s wrong,” Liam begs, and it jerk in his hands to touch him, but he don’t after seeing what happened after Harry touched him.

The words don’t help on Niall’s crying, but it does make him make grabby hands at Liam, who doesn’t know what to do with himself. He wants so badly to take Niall in his arms, but he’s somewhat afraid to do so. He’s afraid Niall decides that he doesn’t need Liam anyway, and shows him away. It’s the fear that holds him back.

If it hadn’t been for Zayn there would never have happened a thing, but as the good boyfriend he is, he push Liam over to Niall, so he doesn’t have another choice but to hug him. Niall hides his head in Liam’s shoulder, and his crying become a little less loud.

“Niall Love, can you please tell me why you’re crying?” This time he mumble it quietly into Niall hair, but this time it also seems like he actually hear the words being spoken to him. Niall hiccups a little and breathes harshly a couple of times.

“Me sweepy, Dada,” Niall whispers and clings closer into Liam.

The look in Liam’s face can’t be described as anything else than totally confused mixed with surprised and more than just a little funny. The three others who didn’t hear what Niall said can’t stop laughing at Liam’s expression, but Liam himself doesn’t find it funny at all. Something is seriously wrong here. Niall’s talking like a baby, and he’s calling Liam Dada, and Liam just doesn’t understand a thing. It’s not like Niall landed on the ground and hit his head or anything like that, because Harry managed to catch him before he hit the floor. There shouldn’t be anything wrong, but there obviously is.

“That’s enough! We’re taking him to the hospital!” Liam exclaims which make the others stop laughing instantly.

“What? What’s wrong?” Louis says suddenly worried again.

“We have to get his head checked.” Liam tries to pull back a little, but Niall won’t let him, and keep hanging on him. “Please Niall. Get up and walk,” Liam begs again, but Niall just makes a disagreeing sound, and tightens his grip around Liam’s neck.

“Niall!” he says warningly, but it doesn’t work at all. Niall only whimper lightly and whispers: “Niall no walk. Dada carry me.” It makes Liam sigh, but he really want to get Niall to the hospital, so he gives up, and lays his arms around Nialls waist, so he can carry the smaller boy out to the car. The blond smiles happily, and makes sure he’s comfy while being carried.

Liam leads the way, and the rest of the lads along with some security guards follow them outside. There’re fans everywhere, just hoping to see their idols one last time before the evening is over, and normally none of the boys really mined that, because if that’s what makes the fans happy, then it makes them happy too, but right now it’s just a bother for all of them. Specially Liam who has his hand full of Niall. Niall though doesn’t seem to mind one bit even though it’s him who’s being carried in front of who knows how many fans, and yeah maybe Niall used to be a very carefree guy, but this would have been too much even for him. Even before he got all grumpy and not Niall-like.

But now he really doesn’t seem to have one single care in the world, maybe except the fact that he’s tired and that he’s worried that Liam will stop carrying him. It’s weird, but at the same time it’s the most relaxed any of them have seen him in a long time now, and they want him to continue being this relaxed, but they also want to know why he’s acting like he does. Especially Liam who now has been called Dada two times in a row. He also would really like to know _why_ exactly he’s enjoying to be called Dada by his friend. It’s not like he has a Daddy-kink or anything like that, and trust him he doesn’t and he _knows_ he doesn’t ‘cause Zayn and him have actually tried that one out, but that was just weird like hell. Both being called Daddy, but also calling Zayn Daddy. So no there isn’t talk about a Daddy-kink, but he has no idea what so ever why it’s feels so _right_ to have Niall calling him Dada.

When they get to the car, Liam doesn’t hesitate getting into the backseat with Niall and Zayn follow so he’s sitting in the back with the two. Louis takes the passenger seat and Harry’s driving the car to the hospital.

The trip doesn’t take long, and before they know, they’re out of the car again. Liam’s walking as fast as he can with a twenty-one years old lad hanging on him. If anything it’s a luck that’s it’s Niall and not one of the others he has to carry, because then he would probably have had some problems getting anywhere. Okay maybe Louis wouldn’t have been too bad either, but Liam’s still happy it’s Niall he has to carry. Not that this doesn’t give him any problems, because even though he is smaller than Liam then he’s still a grown up man. That plus the fact that Niall has always liked to eat, so he’s not exactly very easy to carry around like this, but Liam manages it.

Liam walks over to the counter, to talk to the young woman behind it. He’s hoping she won’t recognize them, but that hope is quickly ruined when she squeals happily and more than a little nervous.

“Can you please find a doctor for me? I think my friend here has hit his head or something like that,” he asks nicely, and luckily the girl become somewhat serious and nods before calling a doctor for them. Around two minutes later the doctor is there. She takes a look at the situation and then she asks Liam and Niall to follow her.

With a last look at the three others, Liam carries the little blond to the doctor’s room, where he finally gets to sit down for a bit. Not that Niall stops hanging on him like another koala bear, but now he doesn’t have to lift all the weight while standing.

“Okay, Mr. Payne can you tell me what happened?” the doctor says after introducing herself as Dr. Cole, and after getting Liam and Niall’s names.

“Well, Niall has been acting kinda weird lately, and then tonight after our show our bandmate Harry touched his arm whereupon he fainted. Harry managed to catch him before he hit the floor, but when Niall woke up a minute or two later he was acting more weird than before, but in a whole different way. He… well he…” Liam blushes and doesn’t really know how to say what happened. He knows that Dr. Cole has confidentiality as a doctor, but that doesn’t make it easier to tell her even though it probably should.

“You can tell me, Mr. Payne,” she says with a frown.

“He called me Dada and acted pretty much like a baby or a toddler. Said he was tired and he wouldn’t stop hugging me. Insisted that I should carry him, like you well enough can see for yourself,” he admits.  

“Interesting,” Dr. Cole mutters while looking investigative at Niall who looks a little scared of the situation. “Niall, my dear, can you tell me how old you are?”

“He’s nin…” Liam doesn’t get to say more, before Dr. Cole sends him a glance that says he shall shut up immediately which he does.

For some time it looks like Niall isn’t going to answer her, but then he pipes: “Two, right Dada?” and looks expectant at Liam. Liam though has no idea what to answer. This is just way strange for him. He’s actually started to consider all this being some odd dream he has because he misses a Niall who needs him.

“I… I don’t… What?”

“Mr. Payne, I don’t really think there’s really anything wrong with Mr. Horan. Nothing that is all that serious anyway. I think the reason he’s been acting otherwise than usually is because of stress. Stress makes people do odd things, like changing their behaviour.”

“That makes sense, but it doesn’t explain what happened tonight and why Niall thinks he’s a baby!” Liam says upset.

“It does actually. Mr. Horan must not have known has to relieve the stress, so it slowly just became too much for him to handle.  That’s why he fainted, and because he couldn’t find a solution himself, his body decided what was best for him.

“I don’t know if you have ever heard of it Mr. Payne, but ageplay has been known to be stress-reducing. I think that maybe Mr. Horan is an infant.”

“An infant? But he’s nineteen!” Liam cries out. He really doesn’t understand a thing, and it’s begun being frustrating not knowing what’s going on. Dr. Cole is not helping one bit, because she’s talking about this like it’s totally normal for an adult man to think he’s a baby.

“Being an infant doesn’t mean he’s actually a baby, but that he has some sort of infantilism, which means that he for some reason either likes or needs to be treated like a baby, toddler or child. I mean there’s no real recipe for it, but for me it looks like Mr. Horan needs to be a two years old for some time so he won’t go down in stress from his grown up life. And also it looks like his toddler-self has decided to make you his father, Mr. Payne,” the doctor tells him, and he can even feel all the colour leave his face with her words.

“So what you’re s-saying is t-that I now h-have an adult toddler? Without me agreeing to anything?” he mutters almost speechless.

“Of course not. No one can force you into being Mr. Horan’s father if you don’t want to take care of him like that. You aren’t a parent or even a family member of his, so you have no responsibility for him, but... and I say this as a friendly stranger and not a doctor, but I think it would be the best if you choose to help your friend, because at this stage he’s somewhat fragile. It’s as new for him as it is for you, but it’s so clear to see how much he trusts you, and I think it would be good for him to be free from all the stress from time to time.”

“Dada, sweepy,” Niall suddenly mumbles and yawn cutely. Liam can feel his heart melt for the blond boy, and in some ways he _wants_ to take care of him and be his Dada, but in the real world he can’t see how he can do that.

They’re in a world wide band where it’s necessary that Liam don’t have a toddler to take care of, because it simply doesn’t work like that. He doesn’t have the time for it, and really Niall doesn’t have time to be a baby anyway. There are expected things from both of them, and it can’t slip out that they’re ageplaying either. Management wouldn’t like it, and they would probably lose a lot of their fans because of it.

“I can’t. And Niall can’t either,” he whispers.

“Why should you not be able to do it? If it’s the band you’re thinking about, then this ageplay thing doesn’t have to be something you do all the time. Niall can easily come out of his headspace, so he could do his job but at the same time be a stress free baby for a couple of hours every day. You said he wasn’t happy before. Try look at him now, and tell me what you see. Personally I see a tired boy who’s happy and trustful enough to sleep on your lap even with a totally stranger in the room,” Dr. Cole says with a smile, and points at a sleeping Niall to prove her point. She’s right. He does look happy and trustful in his sleep. More than he has looked in months now, and it makes Liam so happy too.

“But...”

“Do you love him, Liam? Not necessarily as a lover, but do you love him?” It’s the first time Dr. Cole call him his first name, and somehow it makes the question sound more seriously than if she would have called him Mr. Payne again.

Does he love him? Yeah of course he does! He loves Niall as a bandmate, as a friend, as a family member, and if he would let him, he could love him as a lover too.

“Yes. I love him,” he says.

“Then do what you know is right. Make him happy. And if you can’t do it by yourself, then make you bandmates help you. If they love him, then they would help you do this for him. Now take him home. Let him sleep it out, and then in the morning if he isn’t a grown up yet then tell him he needs to be one for a couple of hours. Talk to him about it all. Make an agreement. And if you need any sort of help, call me and I’ll be happy to help you out. At least give it a try,” Dr. Cole begs.

He wants to protest some more, tell her it won’t and can’t work with the way they live, but before he can do so, he can feel himself nod in agreement and in that moment he realise he really want to. He wants to do it. Wants to make sure Niall stays happy, and that he keeps being Liam’s friend, and... somehow the idea sounds appealing to him.

After getting Dr. Cole’s number he carefully stands up and carries Niall out to the waiting area where Zayn, Harry and Louis are waiting for them. Liam knows they’re going to ask what the doctor said, but he doesn’t really want to tell them. It’s just that it seems so personal and in some ways he wants to keep it to himself.

Okay maybe not entirely to himself, he thinks when he sees Zayn worried look. He wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret from Zayn anyway, and properly not the other either, so he can just as well tell them now than let them find out and be angry at him later. Besides maybe he’ll actually end up needing their help, and he can’t really get that, if they don’t know what’s going on.

“What happened? Could the doctor find anything wrong with him?” Louis asks as the first.

“Not here. We can talk when we get back to the bus,” Liam answers and keeps going in the direction of the exit.

The ride to the bus is silent, but Liam knows how much the others want to ask what happened since Liam doesn’t want to talk about it yet and Niall is sleeping like a rock... or maybe like a baby? Liam doesn’t even know anymore. This day has just been so fucking strange. In some ways he still believes that this is just some sort of a dream. It’s too odd to be real life.

As soon as they’re inside the bus, Liam makes his way to the bunks, where he put Niall down so he can sleep undisturbed while the others talk. Liam looks at Niall for a second and suddenly he becomes worried that he’ll end up falling out from the bunk while he sleeps. Especially since Niall’s bunk is on the top, so if he falls, then he could really end up being hurt. It doesn’t take much thought from his side of, before he lifts Niall up again, and put him down in his own bunk, which is at the bottom. He makes sure Niall is lying as far from the edge of the bunk as possible, before taking the duvet from Niall’s bunk and lays it out so he will have a hard time falling out.

When he’s satisfied with the result, he goes to the back of the bus where he knows the others will be waiting for him. And he’s right. The three of them is sitting on the couches while looking oddly seriously. Not that he really blame them, because if it was him there didn’t know a thing, he would have been serious too.

“Okay, we’re here now. Tell us what the doctor said,” Zayn says determined.

“Yeah what’s wrong?” Harry asks. He’s the one who looks most worried and uncertain. Maybe because he thinks it’s his fault that Niall needed to go to the hospital in the first place, which is just stupid, ‘cause he didn’t have a chance to knows what would happen when he touched Niall.

“She didn’t really think that there was anything else wrong than the fact that he has been stressed lately, and that he didn’t know how to get rid of the stress, which is why he fainted...” Liam says hesitant because the next part will be so much more complicated to explain that the first.

“But? There’s something else. What is it?” Louis asks crafty.

“He’s an infant, and for some reason he has chosen me to be his Daddy, or Dada as he prefers to call me,” he says so quickly that he hopes the others don’t hear it.

After that there’s totally quiet. No one says a word; they just look at Liam unbelievingly. Well maybe he should have expected that one too, when you think about how much he didn’t understand a word when it was an educated doctor who was telling the news to him. The others must think he’s joking.

“I don’t think I understand,” Harry finally admits.

“Well...” Liam begins, but Louis interrupts him before he can continue explaining.

“It’s easy to understand young Harold. Our dear friend Niall wants to play one big happy family with our other dear friend Liam. It’s called ageplay and is often used to relieve stress, or as a sexual or nonsexual kink in a relationship. The only thing I’m not sure about is which one of them it is.” Louis smiles big and slyly at Liam who can’t help but blush.

“Okay... and how do _you_ know that?”

At least Louis is nice enough to blush a little at that, before he answers just as slyly as before. “Let just say there was a point in my life where I had a lot of time to use, and I won’t say anything else about that topic because I’m not sure you really want me to explain anymore to you.”

“Are you going to do it? Be his Dada I mean?” Zayn mutters with a weird look in his face. Liam can’t really tell if it’s something positive or not, and suddenly he becomes worried. He loves Niall and would probably do anything for him, but he also loves Zayn, and Zayn _is_ his boyfriend. He can’t do this without Zayn’s blessing. That wouldn’t be the right thing to do.

“I... I don’t know what to do. I think it’s something we all have to accept, and something we have to do together. I can’t be a father for Niall without you guys’ help, but to be honest then I think he needs it. You should have seen him while I was talking to the doctor. He looked happy and more trustful with me than even before. He hasn’t been like this for a very long time, and really it can’t be healthy to act like he did before. I want to help him, but only if you are going to help too,” Liam admits nervously, because it’s true. Without them he can’t do this. He can’t and honestly he won’t. If they’re going to do this, then they’re going to do this as a proper family. Together.

Again there’s awful quiet, but he understands why. It’s a big decision.

Then: “I’m in. I think Niall would look so cute with a dummy in his mouth while wearing an onesie,” Louis says with a grin. Of course he’s in. Liam should have known Louis would be the first to say yes to this. He would say yes to almost everything.

“A dummy? Can we feed him with a bottle too?” Harry asks with Christmas light in his eyes. “And at least one of the onesies has to be with one direction print on it. I mean how much cooler could it be? I have always wanted my children to have a one direction onesie. The irony is simply perfect! Of course he wouldn’t be my baby, but Lou and I could be the cool uncles who spoil the baby.” The more Harry talks about it all the more excited he becomes. Again, Liam isn’t really all that surprised about his reaction either. Harry has always loved all kind of babies, so the idea of baby one of his bandmates must thrill him.

“You two are just stupid,” Liam mutters, but the big smile on his lips take the edge of his words. Then he realizes that Zayn still hasn’t said a word about if he approves of this or not. He turns to look at Zayn, but again he can’t read in his face what he’s going to say. That has always been the most irritating about Zayn. He’s way too good to hide his feelings.

“Zayn?”

“I don’t want to say anything before we’ve talked to Niall. The grown up Niall. I-I’m just going to bed now,” Zayn says a little hysterical, before he stumbles up and disappear into the bed-area of the bus.

Well if that didn’t lessen the happy mood then Liam doesn’t know what did.

“Maybe we should just all go to bed and sleep on it.” Both Harry and Louis nods at the suggestion, and all three of them follow Zayn to the bunks.

Liam then realize that he put Niall to bed in his bunk, so they’ll either have to share or he’ll have to sleep in Niall’s bunk. He sneaks a look into his bunk, and sees the cutest thing ever. Niall is sleeping on his tummy with the pillow under one arm, like he’s using it as a teddy bear. Then he notice that he’s sucking on his thumb like a real baby who’s missing his dummy.

He almost coos, but he makes sure _not_ to do that, in case he would end up waking Niall because of it. After thinking for around three seconds, he crawls into the bunk bed, and lays his arms around Niall who in his sleep doesn’t hesitate to snuggle into Liam.

¤¤¤

“Dada? Dada, wake up!” The voice is small and very baby-like, and for a second Liam have no idea what the hell is happening, but then he remember what happened yesterday and he especially remember all the things Dr. Cole explained to him when they were at the hospital.

Liam quickly opens his eyes, and is met by a cute and tired looking Niall. The blond hair is standing in all directions, and the thumb is still in his mouth.

“Don’t do that. It’s icky,” Liam mumbles still half asleep and not really ready to get up yet. Niall doesn’t stop sucking on his thumb though, so Liam reach out, and take it out of his mouth, which makes Niall pout really charming.

“Icky,” he says agreeing and nods a little before putting the thumb right back in. Liam just sighs.

“Why are you up, Bud?”

“Niall pee-pee,” Niall states proud.

Still sleepy Liam is only listing to Niall with half an ear, so he doesn’t really pick up what he’s saying at first. First when Niall begin being really fidgety and almost cries out “pee-pee” again, Liam realises what he’s trying to tell him.

“Shit!” Liam has never been that fast up before, but before Niall can even realize what’s happening, Liam is carrying him to the bus’ bathroom, where he really tries to get Niall on the toilet as fast as possible, but it end up being not quickly enough, because just as Liam is going to take of Niall’s trousers and boxers, he can both see and feel the fabric getting wet at the same time as Niall begins crying.

“Sowwy! Didn’t mean to!” The tears are streaming down his cheeks, and he really does look sorry, but maybe also a bit afraid to get punished. Not that Liam would ever punish him for something that was clearly his own fault. If he had just listened to Niall’s warning then they could have reached the toilet in time.

“It’s okay. Don’t cry, Love. I’m not mad at you. Let’s just get you washed then you’ll be as good as new, alright?” Niall nods, still crying but not as badly as before. “Come on let’s get you out of that wet clothes.”

Liam goes to take of the clothes, and Niall doesn’t fight him for trying. When he’s naked, Liam gently puffs him into the shower. Liam then takes the showerhead and turn on the water. Carefully he washes Niall’s body until he’s sure he’s all clean, whereupon he turn of the water again, and gets a towel for Niall to get dried up.

Niall’s still looking very unhappy at the time the shower’s over, but he’s not crying anymore, so Liam takes that as something good. Liam folds the towel around Niall’s body, and then gets him to sit down on the toilet while he goes and pick up some clean clothes.

When he turn around so he can leave the bathroom, he gets quite a shock, because in the doorway Zayn’s standing with his arm crossed while looking at them. In the second he looks into Liam’s eyes, he turns around and leaves without a word.

Without thinking Liam follows him quickly, and grabs his arm before he can get back to the bunk beds.

“What’s your problem? I really don’t understand. All I want to do is to take care of Niall while he needs me, but I need you to accept it and you clearly don’t. Please; talk to me,” he begs with a trembling voice,

“I should have expected this to happen, it’s all,” Zayn mutters.

“What? Why? None of us could have known this would end up like this,” Liam states but he looks at Zayn questioning because he doesn’t really understand why he would say anything like that. Like really, who would think this would happen? It’s not like it’s a normal thing, so why do Zayn think he should have expected it?

“Not that, Li. I mean more like I have always known how much you love him and I don’t blame you because I love him too, but I also really, really love _you_ , and it hurts to know that I’m not gonna have either of you.” The words are spoken without Zayn looking at Liam even though Liam is desperately trying to catch his glance. Liam opens his mouth to protest, but Zayn just keeps talking. “You’re right that I’m a little sceptical about this whole ageplay idea, but after just seeing that, I don’t doubt one bit that after a couple of days of getting used to everything, then you could be exactly what Niall needs, so if it’s my accept you need to do it, then I’ll give it to you.”

“You’re really stupid you know that?” Liam sobs before taking Zayn into his arms.

“Why...”

“You really think you gonna lose me? No matter what you’re thinking, then you’re not my number two choice. I’m not with you only because Niall didn’t want me. Sometimes I wish I could have you both, but I don’t wish that I could have him instead of you, Zayn. And if I ever got the choice - if I should choose between you - I would choose you. I love you, and you _are_ my boyfriend, so I’m not gonna leave you. Just trust me on this, yeah?”

“Okay. Yeah, I trust you. I believe you. I would also choose you every time. Oh thank God, I’m so relieved,” he says with his whole body literally shaking.

“Besides I don’t think I can handle to be a single dad. Not even a day has passed, and I have already made sure my baby has pissed himself and got him crying because of it. Niall will need a Papa or a Daddy or maybe even a Baba. We’re doing this together, right?”

“Together,” Zayn agrees, and then he begins laughing. “But let Niall decide what he wants to call me. Even if he doesn’t want a daddy more, then I’ll be okay with being a cool uncle like Lou and Haz, as long as you don’t leave me.”

“I won’t. Now I have to get some clean clothes to Niall before he freezes to death in that towel. Want to help me dress him?”

“Yeah okay, let’s get the baby dressed. It wouldn’t be good parenting to get our baby killed before the first day has gone. That we should at least wait a week before doing.” The smile spreads on his face, and Liam can feel it tuck lightly at his own lips.

Hand in hand they go to the bunks where they all have their bags. Liam finds a pair of boxers, sweats and a loose t-shirt, before going back to the bathroom still with Zayn’s hand in his. What they find there is one of the sweetest things ever. Niall’s sleeping on the toilet, again with his thumb in his mouth - Liam really has to buy a dummy for him soon, ‘cause he can’t just keep sucking on his thumb - and with his head resting against the sink beside the toilet.

“We have so much to learn before we’ll be good parents,” Liam sighs. It really can’t be good for his baby to sleep like that. He’ll end up with a sore neck or something like that. Or worse he could have fallen down while sleeping and with nobody here to look after him.

“It’ll properly take a couple of days,” Zayn agrees with a laugh.

Liam let go of his hand, and walk over to Niall. He shakes him lightly to get him to wake up. After a couple of second Niall open his eyes and look a little confused.

“Niall baby, and you stand up, so I can help you get your clothes on?” Niall blinks a couple of times, but then he gets up, and Liam helps him get his clothes on again.

“Why was I naked?” Niall then asks obviously still really sleepy, but he doesn’t sound like a child anymore. He doesn’t sound like the grumpy Niall either. Instead he actually sounds like the real Niall would sound if he was tired and confused, but just to be sure Liam has to ask.

“How old are you, Niall?”

“You know how old I am Liam. We’re the same age, remember?”

“Oh yeah that right. How could I forget something like that? Sorry, Niall my bad. Let’s get you back to bed right? Then we can talk in the morning. Does that sound okay to you?” he asks politely, mostly because he’s really freaking out right now.

In some ways he’s so happy that Niall actually sound like Niall, but in others he really wants to hear Niall’s baby voice again. In only a few hours he has grown very fond of little Niall, and he can’t really know how big Niall will react to it all, when it seems like he doesn’t really remember anything.

Niall doesn’t even get to answer before Liam picks him up and carries him back to the bunks, where he puts him back into Liam’s own bunk.

“Err, Liam? This isn’t my bed. And why the fuck, were you carrying me?”

See that makes Liam realize just how quickly he got used to carry Niall around and how much he doesn’t want Niall up in the top bunk. Like really how is the top bunk safe in any way? He doesn’t want his baby falling down and getting hurt because of it. _Now Payno, you just have to come up with a really good excuse to get him to stay in the bottom bunk,_ Liam thinks desperately.

“You found a big spider in your bed, fainted, woke up again and didn’t want to sleep up there anymore, so that’s why you’re sleeping in my bunk... with me. And the reason I carried you is that I didn’t want you to become dizzy and faint again,” he says hopeful. Niall just looks at him like he has become crazy since he last saw him.

“Liam, I’m not afraid of spiders, and I think I would remember all that happen. Besides it still doesn’t explain why I was naked when you woke me up,” Niall says slowly, like he’s making sure Liam gets all he’s saying.

Nice, now it’s Liam who’s considered weird. And here he was just trying to help.

“Just go to sleep Niall. We’ll explain everything for you tomorrow,” Zayn says gently.

Niall rolls his eyes, but then turns around, so he’s facing the wall, before he close his eyes, but before he falls asleep he hears Liam whisper to Zayn: “I’m so afraid what big Niall is gonna say about the news of little Niall.”

 _Little Niall? Well fuck,_ Niall thinks before slipping off to sleep.

¤¤¤

When Niall wake up next, he realizes that he’s cuddled up in Liam’s arms, and that Liam is still fast asleep. Then he comes to think of Liam’s words to Zayn last night, and he panics a little inside. Not because he’s surprised really, because he already knew about little Niall, but because he thought the baby inside him wouldn’t come back.

The first time he ended up in baby mode was when he was five and his parents got divorced. After that there went a few years before it happened again. Last time it happened was a few weeks before x factor, and since that it has been gone up until last night apparently.

His mom and dad actually went to the doctors with him one time, and there they got to know that it probably would happen every time, Niall felt either really stressed or afraid, and therefore both his parents and himself thought that it would happen really fast after he was put in the band, but nothing happened, and they all silently prayed that it meant that it had disappeared, but now he can see that it wasn’t the case.

Damn, he must have scared the boys to dead. Even his parents didn’t take it all that well in the beginning, so he doesn’t even wants to think about how the lads had taken the news.

“Niall, are you awake?” Liam whispers softly in his ear.

“Yeah, I am,” he mutters.

“Want me to make you breakfast?”

“I don’t know... maybe we should talk first.”

“I say breakfast first, and then we can talk. Besides the others aren’t even awake yet, so let’s go make some food then wake the others, eat and lastly we’ll talk. Come on.” Liam gets out of the bunk, and takes Niall hand to let him know he shall follow. He leads them out in the kitchen where he takes a chair and make Niall sit on it, while he makes some pancakes.

He work in silence, and Niall doesn’t say anything either.

When the pancakes are done, Liam leaves the kitchen to go get the others. He wakes them up before going back to the kitchen where he got to put five plates on the table, and put a couple of pancakes on each plate before Zayn comes in and sit down without a word.

Next Louis and Harry come in at the same time, and when Harry sees Niall he lights up in a big smile.

“Hello baby boy! Had a good night-night? Are the little boy hungry?” he purrs and sit down next to Niall, who literally looks like his eyes are gonna pop out any second.

“Harry! Not now!” Liam says a little angry even though he knows it’s not Harry’s fault. He doesn’t know that Niall isn’t in his headspace, and neither does Lou, but he really doesn’t want to scare Niall to end up not wanting to be their baby, just because Harry is taking it a little bit too far.

After that Harry end up looking really hurt, and they all eat in an awkward silence. Niall the first to push his plate away, which make all of the others surprised because that has to be a first. Niall’s always the one who is done eating as the last.

“Okay, it’s very clear that you all know, and I’m very sorry for whatever I did while in my headspace...”

“Wait you know? But you said you didn’t remember what happened yesterday,” Liam says surprised.

“This isn’t the first time it happened, and after yesterday I don’t think it’ll be the last time either. Like I was trying to say, I’m very sorry but honestly I can’t really do anything to stop it. Usually it doesn’t happen much as long as I’m not being babied. If you all just let me be it should go away soon,” Niall says without looking at any of them. This is really _so_ embarrassing.

“But...”

“Please, don’t. This is upsetting enough without you saying anything.”

“What if we _want_ you to keep acting like a baby when we don’t have to work? We have been so worried about you lately, and yesterday was the first time you were really happy again,” Zayn says without sounding mocking at all, which finally makes Niall look up at him.

He looks so sincere, and when Niall looks at the three others he can see that they do too.

“What?” he says dumbly. He really didn’t expect that one coming.

“I liked taking care of little Niall,” Liam admits. “More than I thought I would. We took you to the hospital because I thought you had hit your head, and the doctor then told me about infantilism. At first I was very... shall we say shocked, and I really didn’t understand a word, but she got me to promise I would give it a shot, which I did.

“There was a little incident tonight, which was my entire fault by the way, but even that just made me like this whole thing more. It made me realize that you depend on me while being little, and I like that. I really do. Besides I like you calling me Dada too.” The last thing makes Liam blush so he ends up being completely read in the face, but he means it and that’s why he chose to tell him. That and because he hopes it’ll make Niall choose to continue the ageplay with them.

“I called you Dada?” Niall asks horrified.

“Yeah,” Liam says with a sheepishly grin.

“Fuck, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Like I say I kinda liked it.”

“It’s still so, so embarrassing,” he admits and at this point he has begun blushing too.

“I think it’s sweet. Plus it makes the whole ageplay seem more real in a way.”

“You really want us to do ageplay? Like all of us?” he then asks hesitant.

“Well, Liam and I would like to be you’re daddies, and Lou and Haz want to be some kind of uncles to you,” Zayn tells him.

“O-okay,” Niall whispers agreeing, because he actually really wants to do it. He likes being babied, so why shouldn’t he take the chance when it’s given to him? That would just be really stupid, and besides there aren’t anyone he would like to do this whole ageplay thing with more than Liam, Zayn, Harry and Louis. They’re his best friends, and they’re family.

“Really?” Liam looks hopeful. “Well if you really want to do this, then we just have to talk about what we want and what we don’t want. Like how much do you want to be a baby? Personally I at least think we should buy a dummy and some nappies. That would solve both problems we had last night, but of course only if you’re okay with it.”

“I-I’m okay with dummies and n-nappies. Really as long as I’m in my headspace I think I’m okay with almost everything.”

“Like we can feed you, and but you in a high chair? What about onesies? Please tell me you’ll wear onesies. And you’ll have to sleep in a crib so you don’t fall out of bed at night. We’ll get you so many toys and play with you all the time so you aren’t bored,” Harry babbles sweetly. Niall just looks a little scared, but at the same time pretty pleased too.

“I have no idea where you’ll have a high chair and a crib while on tour, Harry, but yeah we can do everything else you’d like,” Niall then says to the hopeful Harry who cries out in happiness.

“Maybe we should take it easy at least while we’re still on tour. There’re only like three weeks more before we have vacation and then we could maybe buy a crib and a high chair,” Liam adds wisely, which they all end up agreeing to.

¤¤¤

After doing a bit of research they are all ready to leave the bus to go shopping for the needed things. Liam found the perfect place for the shopping. It’s a store with no cameras and a strict confidentiality, so the customers don’t have anything to fear.  Paul is driving all of them to the store, and God bless him, he doesn’t ask any questions when he sees where they’re going. He only raises an eyebrow at Liam who just shakes his head lightly.

He knows he’s going to have to explain to Paul at some point, but it’s not going to be now when Niall’s still so unsure of everything. He’s Liam’s baby now, and that means Liam has to think of him and his feelings first. Paul can always get to know later when everything is more normal to all of them.

When they get out of the car, Liam really wants to take Niall’s hand, but they’re still out where everyone can see them, so he settles with placing his hand on Niall’s waist. A couple of seconds later Zayn is walking on the other side of Niall, and Louis and Harry are walking behind them.

It’s funny how fast they seem to settle with the thought of Niall being the baby who needs to be taking care of, but then again; in some ways he has always been the baby of the band, or at least the one all the other were looking out for. There’s just something soft and breakable over Niall that made them want to make sure he didn’t get hurt, and the last day have definitely not changed anything.

When they enter the store, Niall’s eyes become big as teacups. He looks like he can’t believe what he’s seeing. Not that the others can either, ‘cause it really is... something else, so to say.

Really you could at first just assume that it’s just a normal baby store or that’s until you give it a second look, because when you look again, you’ll see that none of the things they’re selling in here would fit a normal baby. On the other hand it would fit a grown up perfectly. Well, if anything you can say that hey are at the right place for their shopping.

“I think I just died and came to heaven,” Harry says excited, and without hesitating a second he has run of to look at all the baby things. Only Harry would be so thrilled about baby store for adults. Only Harry. The others look stupidly after him, but then Louis shrugs, and follows him with an “I’ll try to make sure he doesn’t buy the whole store.” over his shoulder.

For some reason Liam, Zayn and Niall doubts that he’ll succeed, but none of them say it out loud.

After taking a cart for the things they’ll buy, Liam coughs discreet before saying: “Well, what should we look after first?”

Zayn just shrugs and Niall is looking unsure again, so Liam sighs and chooses to just go around and look to see if they find something interesting. “Let’s just look right? Niall I want you to tell me if you find something you want, okay? No matter what it is. Tell me and we’ll buy it to you.”

“I can buy it myself,” Niall mutters with a blush. “I have just as much money as you guy have, remember. Plus it’s all for me, so I should be the one buying it.”

“Nonsense! As your parents it’s our job to buy you the things you’ll need. From now on I won’t hear a thing about you buying anything, do you hear? Babies don’t buy things on their own,” Liam lectures sternly, which makes Niall shut up, but not before making a displeased sound. They all know that he actually likes the whole thing despite putting up a fight though, because he looks more than a little pleased with Liam’s words, so it can’t be all that bad.

At first they stumble around in the store a little unsure, but then Liam becomes practical and leads the way to find some of the things they already know they’re gonna buy. At first he finds the place where the store keeps their nappies, and already there they have their first problem, because none of them have any idea what kind of nappies they should buy.

Both Liam and Zayn then look carefully at Niall who can’t help but blush deeply.

“How do parents do this?” Zayn then mumbles before looking at the nappies again.

“Maybe we should just ask someone,” Liam suggests uncertain.

“No please don’t,” Niall begs. He really doesn’t want anyone to help them choose his nappies. This whole thing is bad enough already. “Besides shouldn’t there be sizes on the package?” This make the two older boys look at the nappies again, this time with a better result than before.

“Right, maybe we should have thought of that,” Liam says sheepishly. Then he does something Niall didn’t expect. He turns Niall around, and pulls in the back of his trousers and briefs. Niall can feel the warm filling his cheeks, and when Liam turns him around again he doesn’t look any of them into the eyes.

Maybe this whole thing wasn’t that good of an idea.

He doesn’t say anything though, and just follows when Liam begins putting different things into the cart. Soon they’re done in the nappy section, and at the time they have to choose bottles and dummies, Niall can once again look at his new ‘parents’ without feeling like he’s gonna die of embarrassment.

Liam chooses a couple of bottles, sippy cups and dummies before asking if there’re any the other two would want to buy. Niall looks at the things Liam has chosen, and then at the ones he can choose between. At first there isn’t really any he really wants which Liam hasn’t already taken, but then something catches his eyes. It’s a [dummy](http://rlv.zcache.co.uk/irish_baby_shamrock_flag_dummy-r3c07e1239fd44d87b622a2dde43e50af_8byvd_8byvr_324.jpg) with a picture of a shamrock coloured in the colours of an Irish flag and with green letters it says ‘Irish baby’. As soon as he sees it, he knows that they have to buy it. Like really it’s like the dummy is only there because someone knew they were going to be here today. He hopes not, but really how can it be more perfect?

A little shy he points at it and Zayn smiles widely when he takes the dummy. Niall makes grabby hands at the dummy in Zayn’s hands without even thinking about it.

“Dum-dum. Want dum-dum,” Niall whines.

Zayn looks unsure at Liam who shrugs, but then nods after thinking for a moment. Zayn opens the package, and hands over the dummy to Niall who doesn’t hesitate putting it into his mouth. He begins sucking on it, at first with a little trouble, but then he figures it out and it almost looks like it’s something he has been doing his whole life.

“Do you think he’s in his headspace again?” Zayn whispers to Liam, when they see how Niall happily waddles further into the store.

“Maybe... I mean it is a possibility. He did say something about that he fell faster into his headspace if he was treated like a baby, and with this store and all the things we’re gonna buy to him, it wouldn’t be strange if he’s in his headspace or on his way to be,” Liam says thoughtfully. “But I don’t really know. Maybe he just likes it all, although he still has an adults mind.”

“No matter what it is, I like seeing him like this.”

“Yeah, me too. It’s nice.”

For a second, and really it _is_ only for a second, they look at each other with fond smiles, before turning to look at Niall again, but at the time they look in the direction they just saw him in, he’s gone. A little panicked they let the cart be before running after him.

It’s first then they realise how big this store really is. And it doesn’t help that although Niall has a babies mind, then he still has an adults legs which means he pretty fast can run around and away from Liam and Zayn.

It ends up taking them several minutes before they find Niall, who hides behind Harry, when he sees them coming.

“Found Haz and Lou,” Niall says with a happy grin, but he still looks carefully at his parents like to make sure they aren’t mad at him for running away from them.

Liam really wants to say something or even better scold at him, but it’s begun being clear that it’s little Niall who’s standing behind Harry, and Liam’s a little unsure about how much he can yell at his baby without scaring him.

“Dada mad?” Niall asks in a whisper, still with the dummy in his mouth, which makes him lisp a little.

“A little Niall. Please don’t run away from us. How can we look after you if we can’t find you,” Liam sighs.

“Sowwy, Dada, won’t do it anymore.”

“That’s good Niall.” Liam doesn’t really believe him, because if he really is talking to little Niall, then he’ll probably forget all about it soon enough, but if it’s mean he’ll behave while they’re in the shop, then it’s okay.

“Okay what’s we missing? Lou and I have found some sweet onesies, PJs, really just a lot of cute clothes for him. We have also found some slippers, shoes, baby blankets, lots and lots of toys...”

“How are we going to hide all that Harry?” Zayn asks with a smug grin.

“I don’t know, but we’ll need it. Right Niall?”

“Yeah, Daddy, need it all,” Niall says and hugs Harry from behind.

“See that’s my baby boy,” Harry coos. “Well I didn’t get to finish. While you and Liam ran around looking for this little guy, we found Niall a teddy bear... or well not really a bear. Niall show daddy your stuffie.”

A very proud Niall runs over to his daddies with a big stuffed... err, a stuffed... yeah.

“That’s lovely Niall. What have you called it?” Liam asks without showing that he has no idea what so ever what the stuffed thing is supposed to be.

“No name Dada,” Niall laugh with a silly grin, like he sees something Liam doesn’t, which Liam wouldn’t be surprised if he really does ‘cause after all he can’t even see what the thing is supposed to be.

“And why doesn’t it have a name?”

That makes Niall look at him like he thinks he’s crazy, but really don’t toddlers normally name their stuffed animals, or is Liam just totally wrong here? He looks at the three other ‘grown ups’. Zayn’s looking just as confused as he is, but Harry and Louis can’t stop laughing at them.

“It’s a [cookie](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=37831490), Liam, and Niall doesn’t think you should name a cookie, therefore it doesn’t have a name, but he’s still very fond of the thing even though he won’t name it anything,” Louis grins, and okay now that Louis says it, it makes sense that it’s a cookie. But to Liam’s defence Niall did show him the back of the cookie, so he couldn’t see the dots and the face on the stuffed thing.

“I knew that!” Liam whines but it doesn’t help on their laughter. Even Zayn has begun laughing now. What a traitor he is! He’s supposed to be on Liam’s side in this. Besides he didn’t know what the cookie was either! “Shut up, idiots!” he moans.

“No bad word.”

“Yeah Liam, you wouldn’t want Niall to talk like that would you? Listen to your baby boy.” Louis’ words make the three howl of laughter. Liam just shakes his head, and Niall looks like he doesn’t really know what is so funny, but that he would really like to know, so he can laugh with them.

When they finally stop laughing, they gather all the things they have found. When Liam sees all the things Harry and Louis has selected, he sighs a little, but he also realises that they definitely doesn’t need anything else. Not only is there loads of everything he told about just before, but there is also a lot of other things, like baby dishes, bibs, formula and baby food. There’s also a big package Liam doesn’t know what contains.

What he doesn’t really get is how Harry had time to find all this. It looks like he has gathered half of the store, while Liam, Zayn and Niall only found nappies, dummies, bottles and sippy cups, but then again Harry does a lot of things that Liam doesn’t really get, and he has found out it’s better to just not ask any questions, because he usually gets to hear a really long and really boring explanation, which ends up not explaining anything at all.

“Okay then, I guess we only have to pay now.”

With that they go to the checkout, where a smiling young man is standing. He doesn’t say a thing about One Direction being in the store, but chitchat lightly with them while checking all the goods for them. When he’s done, and Liam has paid, the man gives Niall a lollipop, which makes Niall beam in delight.

They get back to the car, this time with their hands full of stuff. Only Niall isn’t lifting any bags, and the only thing he’s carrying is the cookie and then the lollipop he has in his mouth. The dummy he was sucking on before is now safely lying in Liam’s pocket so it doesn’t disappear.

 “Pauly, see!” Niall yells when they reach the car, and he sees Paul standing in front of the door to the driver’s seat. He shows Paul the big stuffed cookie they have bought him, and again Paul doesn’t say a thing about the weird situation Niall is putting him in.

Sometimes Liam really think they doesn’t pay the man anywhere near enough, when he think about all the odd things he gets to see while being with the boys. Especially because he never says a word if he thinks he shouldn’t and gives them time to find an explanation before questioning them.

“That’s a really cool cookie, Niall. You’re a very lucky boy aren’t you?”

“Yes, I’m Irish,” he states proudly like that should make him luckier than everybody else. Paul just laughs a little, before he ruffles Niall hair, which makes Niall whine out a “Heeyyy!”

Meanwhile the others put all the bags into the trunk, and when they’re done, Zayn takes Niall hand and leads him into the back of the car. When Niall is safely fastened, everyone else follows into the car, and Paul drives them back to where the bus is parked behind a hotel.

“Are you lads going to the bus, or the hotel?” Paul asks when he stops the car. They all look at each other shortly before Liam speaks up.

“I think it’s gonna be the bus for today. Can you make sure nobody enter the bus without us saying it’s okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll make sure you can have some time to... whatever it is you’re doing without being disturbed. Just make sure you’re all ready for the driver seven o’clock in the morning, right?”

“Perfect. That should be time enough for now.”

Paul helps them and all their bags to the bus, before leaving them alone. Most of the bags they just set at the bed area, because really there’s no way they’re gonna use all of the things now. Liam then again notices the package he doesn’t know contain. Curiously he opens it and finds a... a crib?

“Harry? Didn’t I tell you that we shouldn’t buy things like cribs before the tour is done?” he yells amused to Harry who just laughs at him.

“It’s supposed to be used to travel. We’ll still have to buy a new one ones we come home.”

“Next time I’m not taking you with us when we’re going to be shopping for Niall,” he then threatens, to which Harry just answers: “Fine, then I’m just going to be shopping by myself! In that way you can’t stop me from buying precisely what I want.”

Liam just sighs before getting up from the floor. He walks into the back of the bus, where Louis is playing with Niall on the floor, and Harry and Zayn is looking through the rest of the bags to find the nappies and whatever they also will need to change Niall.

Zayn lets out a cry in happiness, when he finds the bag with nappies and wipes. A couple of second later Harry has found what he was looking, which turns out to actually be a One Direction onesie, and a pair of giraffe slippers.

They both hands the things over to Liam who looks a little stupidly at them.

“It’s been decided that you’re gonna change him first. We all think he’ll be most comfortable with you doing it at least the first time, and then later, when he’s getting used to it, we can do it too,” Zayn says with a smile.

“Oh... yeah okay. That’s sound fair I guess?” The words come out like a question, but no one says anything, and after getting his thoughts together, he walks over to Niall and takes his hand to let him know he shall follow. “Time for your nappy, baby boy,” he says softly.

Niall looks up at him, and then lifts his arms to get Liam to carry him. That causes him a bit of problems because he’s still holding the things, but in the end he’s having Niall hanging on one side of him, and on the other he’s having all the things he’s gonna use.

He lays Niall down on the floor, and a little hesitant he begins taking off Niall’s clothes until he’s naked. Blushing he quickly takes a nappy from the package to put it on Niall as fast as possible. It ends up taking a lot longer time than planned, because Liam doesn’t really know what he’s doing at all, and both the nappy and the onesie are giving him a lot of troubles, but luckily Niall’s taking it all really well, so it isn’t _his_ fault that Liam can’t get it right.

In the end it all sits like it should, and Liam finds the dummy in his pocket and puts it into Niall mouth before helping him up from the floor again. He pats Niall in the bum gently which makes Niall giggle cutely.

“There you go, baby. Come on; let’s go show daddy, Haz and Lou how adorable you are.”

“Silly Dada,” he says, but he also does as Liam asks, as he toddles back to where the three other are waiting on them.

He just stands there and looks at Niall disappearing into the back, thinking about how happy all this makes all of them. First then he realises that it wasn’t only Niall who was stressed and not himself. He was just the one who showed it the most, but really it was all of them. This whole thing has bought them back together like in the beginning, and made them more like themselves that they have been in a long time.

With a smile on his lips he follows Niall, and when he enters the back, he both sees and hears how much the others like Niall’s baby-self. He really is adorable like this, Liam has to admit that. Not that he would hide it in any way.

Zayn turns his head and looks up at Liam for a moment before getting up and meeting him in the doorway. He pulls him in for a hug, and while standing in each other’s arms they’re looking at their friends.

“Miracles happen in funny ways don’t they? Three years ago I thought my dream was ruined once again, but then I was put in a band with four other idiots. I then fell in love with one of those idiots, but I knew the idiot would never be mine like I wanted to, but at one point it became bearable because I fell in love with yet another idiot who wanted me like I wanted him. He knew all about my obsession with this first idiot, but I also knew that he felt the same toward him.

“Now after weeks of unhappiness everything fells right again, and even though I didn’t get the first idiot like I wanted, then I got something much better.”

“A family,” Zayn whispers fondly.

“A family,” Liam agrees before meeting Zayn’s lips in a sweet kiss.


End file.
